MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The mother of a young Memphian who never made it home has been named one of TIME magazine's "100 Most Influential People of 2023."
RowVaughn Wells, Tyre Nichols' mother, was honored by the publication after months of "sharing her grief in the public eye," garnering renewed calls for police reform and support from President Joe Biden.
An excerpt written by Ben Crump, who represents the family of Tyre Nichols, was featured in the TIME list.
"Losing a child is the worst kind of pain that a parent could know, but RowVaughn has continued to demonstrate strength and assert her voice to ensure that her son’s story is not forgotten," Crump wrote. "Her goal is simply to stop these unjustified police killings of unarmed Black men."
As a result of her and activists' continued work, the Memphis City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to end low-level traffic stops.
This ordinance reclassifies pretextual traffic stops, like a broken tail light or expired tags, so they cannot be used by police as the sole reason for pulling drivers over.
Still, city council decided to hold off Tuesday any action indefinitely on the "2023 Comprehensive Justice in Policing Ordinance," formerly known as the "Tyre Nichols Justice in Policing Ordinance."
The ordinance would have outlined guidelines for police traffic stops and interactions with traffic violators. It also details policy for use of force with non-compliant individuals, requires MPD to report every 6 months and make traffic data public and requires an independent review of the department's training program.
Councilman Smiley stated the following on the decision to table the ordinace:
“In the interest of clarity, Council believes it is in the best interest to allow previous ordinances on criminal justice reform advocated for by Councilmembers and constituency groups to stand alone.
We appreciate those members who helped amend the 2023 Comprehensive Justice in Policing Ordinance.
We appreciate your time and attention to detail in this matter, however later today I will make a motion to table indefinitely the 2023 Comprehensive Justice in Policing Ordinance. Peace and blessings.”
On a national scale; Black police chiefs, commissioners, sheriffs and commanders from across the country also are gathering in Detroit on Friday and Saturday for NOBLE's annual CEO symposium.
The agenda, spread across Friday and Saturday, includes panels on diversity, equity and inclusion; best practices for mental health responses in policing and managing the response to mass shootings.
